Non-holiday TV treats to look forward to in December:
“Sons of Anarchy” (Tuesday, Dec. 3, 10 p.m., FX) Even if this motorcycle gang celebrated the holidays, it would probably involve decorating the garage by festively hanging someone from their entrails. And now that we’ve had a full week off to digest the demise of one-time prez, hubby and stepdad Clay (Ron Perelman), we’re ready for the final two episodes of this gritty drama’s sixth season as it gears up for a likely final season that’s destined to pit Jax (Charlie Hunnam) against mama bear Gemma (Katey Sagal).
“Treme” (Sunday, Dec. 1, 9 p.m., HBO) The condensed fourth and final chapter of this wonderfully tragic series plays out this month. And should you happen to be having a really crappy holiday season, this show provides you with a heaping helping of schadenfreude that at least your life isn’t as sad as everyone appears to be in the Big Easy. Mama will miss seeing the many trials of LaDonna (Khandi Alexander), Antoine (Wendell Pierce) and, yes, even Davis (Steve Zahn), but the biggest hole this drama will leave is the song catalog of fantastic, unique music of New Orleans, which became its own character.
“Lilyhammer” (Friday, Dec. 13, Netflix) Look for the second season of Netflix’s under-the-radar series starring Steven Van Zandt as a former gangster who enters the federal witness protection program, which moved him from NYC to Norway. And since Van Zandt is mostly remembered as an actor from his days on “The Sopranos” as Silvio, this mostly feels like a darkly comedic spinoff of the mob opera.
“Spartacus” (Saturdays, 9 p.m., Starz) No need to worry about spotting a stray caroler or a sappy love story amid the carnage on this gladiator series, which is replaying the series starting Dec. 7 with the “Gods of the Arena” prequel. Three back-to-back episodes air every Saturday.
“The Walking Dead” (Sunday, Dec. 1, 9 p.m., AMC) Unless you’re hoping to see Santa eat somebody’s face off, you don’t have to worry about this undead series celebrating anything in its fourth season finale.
“The Returned” (Sunday afternoons, Sundance Channel) This eerie French series about the undead who don’t want to eat your brains, but are inexplicably just as scary as any store-brand zombie, airs a marathon of the first season every Sunday in December. If you didn’t see this when it originally aired, don’t miss your second chance, which turns the story about the rising of the dead into how the resurrected handle life after death, as well as how their family and friends deal with the mysterious, dreamlike return of loved ones they’d already grieved.
“Bonnie & Clyde” (Sunday, Dec. 8 and Monday, Dec. 9, 9 p.m., Lifetime, A&E and History) Now that everyone has figured out that one-off miniseries based on historical figures is such a crowd pleaser, expect every famous and infamous character to get a biopic. Three cable channels combine forces (they’re all owned by the same parent company) to offer something other than another egg-nogged movie, instead telling the tale of the notorious couple whose crime spree became the stuff of legend. Emile Hirsch and Holliday Grainger star as the outlaws, while William Hurt plays the Texas Ranger sent to hunt them down.
“Nikita” (Friday, Dec. 27, 9 p.m., The CW) In the normally dead TV period between Christmas and New Year’s, The CW slips in the series finale of the super-sexy, super spy. She’s been on the run since being wrongly accused of being a terrorist, and with a past that may be too much to overcome, Nikita (Maggie Q) may have to take a page from the “Burn Notice” playbook if she wants a happy ending.